Skin care, hair care and other body care liquids, soaps, creams or fluids sold for personal use at home are often sold in dispensers. These dispensers contain the fluid until it is dispensed and applied to a targeted area, usually skin or hair.
Both of a user's hands are typically used while applying the fluid to a targeted surface. A user will employ one hand to force or to pour fluid from the dispenser, while the user's other hand is frequently used to position a targeted surface adjacent the dispenser aperture to receive the dispensed fluid. This surface may comprise the user's other hand, an area of targeted skin or hair, or an applicator.
After dispensing fluid, the user then typically applies the dispensed fluid over a targeted area of skin or hair by using the palms or fingers of one or both hands, or by using an applicator onto which fluid was applied. This can be done manually or by using a motorized massager or applicator which imparts movement to spread the fluid or to massage an area onto which fluid was previously applied.
Simple, manual fluid applicators include a user's hand or hands, or a material, for example gauze or cotton balls, onto which liquid has been dispensed. Some prior art liquid make-up containers include an applicator brush or sponge through which liquid make-up is dispensed and manually applied to a user's skin. Finally, there are some electric skin massagers that can be used to apply previously dispensed fluids onto skin or hair. However, there are no devices that simultaneously dispenses fluid and massages or mechanically applies the dispensed fluid into skin or hair while requiring the use of only one hand of the user.
When fluid is being applied, varying degrees of pressure and varying amounts of motion may be applied by the user, depending on the treatment being provided. With hand operated motorized devices, increased pressure on the applicator surface may affect the degree of movement of the massaging surface. If the applicator surface being pressed onto skin or hair is directly linked to the motor, pressure on the surface may slow or burn out the motor. Traditionally, massage units, electric toothbrushes and the like have employed stronger motors or gears to overcome this pressure.
Motorized personal massagers and the like are also prone to causing a user's hand to tingle or feel numb from holding the device during use because the vibration imparted to the applicator surface is typically transmitted to the device's handle directly. No vibration absorbing mechanism is disclosed in the prior art that mechanically isolates vibration created by the vibrating motor of a hand held massager from a user's hand holding the vibrating device.
It is relatively complicated, and therefore relatively costly, to engineer a hand held motorized massaging or applicator device that relies upon a strong motor or a mechanical gear assembly to overcome resistance to pressure applied to the applicator surface. The costs are increased by both the number of parts and the mechanical tolerances of parts manufactured and assembled to create a functional massager. There is therefore a need for a less expensive device.
In addition to this need, no hand held motorized massager, liquid applicator or toothbrush exists that also dispenses contained fluid onto skin or hair under water, while its user is bathing or showering. Further, no such device is known that minimizes vibrational energy to the user's hand holding the device during use. Still further, no such hand-held household device that is cost effective to produce has been disclosed, nor has any method for its use or manufacture been revealed to date by any party.
While these Figures may illustrate elements or components of embodiments of the disclosed device, it will be appreciated that the present disclosure may extend to equivalents thereto without departing from the scope of the disclosure.